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GRENADA
Grenada is an island
nation in the Caribbean Sea including the southern Grenadines, is the second
smallest independent country in the Western Hemisphere (after Saint Kitts
and Nevis). It is located in the southeastern part of the sea, north of
Trinidad and Tobago, and south of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
History
The recorded history of Grenada begins in 1498, when Christopher Columbus
first sighted the island. After a failed British settlement attempt, the
French purchased the island from the Carib indians in 1650. The island was
again ceded to Britain in 1783. Grenada was made a Crown Colony in 1877.
Independence was granted in 1974, and in
1979, after an unstable political period, power was seized by the
charismatic and popular left-wing leader Maurice Bishop. Bishop's socialism
and cooperation with Communist Cuba didn't sit well with the more
conservative nations in the area, including Barbados, Dominica and the
United States. A dispute with a hard-line Communist wing of the ruling New
Jewel party loyal to Bernard Coard led to Bishop's execution on October 19,
1983 in a coup d'etat.
Six days later, the island was invaded by US forces and those of six other
Caribbean nations in part of a military campaign called Operation Urgent
Fury. The forces quickly captured the ringleaders and their hundreds of
Cuban advisers, most of whom were laborers working on the construction of a
major airport for the island which the United States completed years later.
Elections were held the following year. A publicised tactical concern of the
United States was the safe recovery of U.S. nationals enrolled at St.
George's University.
In September 2004, the island was directly hit by Hurricane Ivan. The
category 4 hurricane caused 90 percent of the homes to be damaged or
destroyed.
Politics
As a Commonwealth nation, the British monarch is the formal head of state of
Grenada. She is represented by a governor general, but real executive power
lies with the head of government, the prime minister. Although appointed by
the governor general, the prime minister generally is the leader of the
largest faction in the parliament.
The parliament consists of a Senate (13 members) and a House of
Representatives (15 members). The senators are appointed by the government
and the opposition, while the representatives are elected by the population
for 5-year terms. With 49.9% of the votes and 8 seats in the 2003 election,
the New National Party remains the largest party in Grenada. The largest
opposition party is the National Democratic Congress with 45.1 of the votes
and 7 seats.
Parishes
Politically, Grenada is divided into six parishes, viz.:
Saint Andrew
Saint David
Saint George
Saint John
Saint Mark
Saint Patrick
Carriacou and Petit Martinique, two of the Grenadines have the status of
dependency.
Geography
The island Grenada itself is the largest island; smaller Grenadines are
Carriacou, Petit Martinique, Rhonde Island, Caille Island, Diamond Island,
Large Island, Saline Island and Frigate Island. Most of the population lives
on Grenada itself, and major towns there include the capital St. George's,
Grenville and Gouyave. Largest settlement on the other islands is
Hillsborough on Carriacou.
The islands are of volcanic origin, and Grenada's inlands are slightly
mountainous, with several small rivers flowing into the sea. The climate is
tropical: hot and humid, and Grenada occasionally suffers from hurricanes.
The most recent storm to hit was Hurricane Ivan in September 2004.
Economy
Economic progress in fiscal reforms and prudent macroeconomic management
have boosted annual growth to 5%-6% in 1998-99; the increase in economic
activity has been led by construction and trade. Tourist facilities are
being expanded; tourism is the leading foreign exchange earner. Major short-term
concerns are the rising fiscal deficit and the deterioration in the external
account balance. Grenada shares a common central bank and a common currency
(the East Caribbean Dollar) with seven other members of the Organization of
Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
Grenada is known as a "spice island" and is a source of nutmeg, mace, cloves,
ginger and cinnamon. The red lacy material in the photo is mace. It is found
between the nutmeg fruit and the nut itself.
Demographics
About 80% of the population are descendants of the African slaves brought by
the Europeans; very little of the indigenous Carib and Arawak population
remains.
The official language, English, is spoken by virtually everyone, although a
few still speak a French patois. Nearly all Grenadians are Christians, about
half of them Catholics; Anglicanism is the largest Protestant religion.
Culture
French influence on culture is much less than in other Caribbean islands,
and culture is heavily influenced by the African roots of most of the
Grenadians.
Transportation in Grenada
Grenada has no railways or a merchant marine.
Highways:
total: 1,040 km
paved: 638 km
unpaved: 402 km (1996 est.)
Seaports and harbors:
Grenville, Saint George's
Airports:
3 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1999 est.)
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